Here is a good paper that gives readers a basic understanding of cryptography. "Cryptography addresses one specific security-related requirement, and does so superbly: protecting a message or a file from being read by an eavesdropper who has no other . . .
Here is a good paper that gives readers a basic understanding of cryptography. "Cryptography addresses one specific security-related requirement, and does so superbly: protecting a message or a file from being read by an eavesdropper who has no other means of access to either the original text of what is protected, or the key with which it is encrypted. At one time, cryptography wasn't as effective as this: during World War II, only a few systems, other than one-time pads, remained unbroken, primarily the top-level systems used by the Allies. But today, personal computers have made it trivial to use very elaborate methods of encryption: whether or not major governments can break them, it is easy enough to be sure that hackers cannot."

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